architecture & construction: architect's project
    • Showing posts with label architect's project. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label architect's project. Show all posts

    Thursday, April 19, 2018

    The most beautiful condo-tower in New York

    12:36 PM 0
    The most beautiful condo-tower in New York
    US firm Studio Gang has revealed a 51-storey residential tower in Brooklyn, featuring scooped concrete windows and a curved elevated park.


    The condominium tower will be built to one side of the large plot. A garden raised one-storey above ground that will extend from the tower in a loop, curving round to in a curve to connect to the other side.


    Made of prefabricated concrete, the wavy facade will comprise curved volumes that protrude outwards at the sides to add extra space to the residences indoors. Large windows, measuring eight feet (2.4 metres) tall will puncture the concrete.

    Designed for developer for Tishman Speyer, 11 Hoyt will include 190 residences of varying arrangements across its 51 floors. One similarity between the homes will be that the main living areas, like the lounge and master bedrooms, will be placed in the curved window bays.
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    Friday, May 5, 2017

    New Apple Store in Dubai

    10:11 PM 0
    New Apple Store in Dubai

    A new Apple store, designed by UK architect Foster + Partners and located in the world’s largest mall in Dubai, will contain a piece of kinetic art called “Solar Wings”.

    Described as a celebration of the sun and a reinterpretation of Mashrabiya, traditional Arabic wooden latticed windows, the artwork will shade the outside terrace during the day and open during the evening to reveal the view of the waterside promenade and fountains.

    Made entirely of lightweight carbon fibre, each wing has multiple layers of tubes forming a dense net.

    Following an in-depth study of sun angles, the rods have been distributed in higher concentration where the solar radiation is most intense over the year.

    The unique pattern allows clear views out for people standing on both levels of the store and the sunlight streaming through the wings casts dappled shadows deep into the interior.

    Foster + Partners say the Apple store occupies the “most pivotal position in the city, alongside the iconic Burj Khalifa and overlooking the famous Dubai Fountains”.

    Stefan Behling, head of studio at Foster + Partners, said : “The design of Apple Dubai Mall is about creating an exceptional architectural and social experience for visitors, bringing to the fore new ideas about the evolving role of Apple Flagships in the community. I am sure Apple Dubai Mall will become a true people’s place.”
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    Saturday, April 29, 2017

    Quality centre mall

    10:09 PM 0
    Quality centre mall
    Located along Nyerere road Dar es salaam, quality centre stands as shopping icon. This is the first mall in Temeke municipal. 



    Completed in 2011, The Quality Centre mall in Dar es Salaam is a fully air-conditioned, integrated, and state-of-the-art retail, entertainment, and office complex – currently the largest of its kind in east and central Africa. It was built to offers mixed-use retail outlets, super markets, restaurants, family entertainment centers, banks, and movie theaters.

    he huge box covered with reflective blue glasses and alucobond at the top is seen from Nyerere road. The parking, the emphasis at the entrance the logo at the top of the building are arranged well. 



    The entrance has automatic doors which bring to the grand lobby of three storeys high. The main corridor to the shops starts by articulated pillar/column, surrounded by LED lights.

    The walk ways are arranged as the main river with small channels run out of it. The main corridor has the atrium of double stories, and it is a public area of the whole mall.

    There are benches along the main corridor for people to rest and when you look up to the ceiling, there is an illusion of clouds, so it makes people to feel as if they are outside, more close to nature. 



    The mall has ground and mezzanine floor for retail spaces. There are stairs and escalators to move people vertically to the mezzanine floor. All shops are arranged to look at the atrium, so one can almost see all shops from any point. The other floors above the mezzanine are for offices and administration. 



    Quality centre attract people from outside, it got 14000 visitors on weekends. Big companies in business are in quality centre such as Cineplex, Savanna Lounge, Uchumi Shopping Center, Tigo, Samsung, sub way, fun spot, and many others.
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    Friday, April 28, 2017

    BPM studios completes Yombo Lutheran church.

    3:36 AM 0
    BPM studios completes Yombo Lutheran church.

    4 kms off Nyerere road in vingunguti, Dar es salaam, BPM studios put a strange piece of architecture. The building was constructed to be able to occupy the growing number of worshipers of Yombo Lutheran church. It is huge, grand and spiritual compared to the previous one. The building can be seen from far (up to 3.5 kms away). Its roof and bell tower are taller than any other structure around it.

    The church has three main entrances, one in the front and two others in left and right side. The building has a clear symmetry covered with gable roof at the top.



    The main entrance is emphasized so that it is seen clearly from the two entrances from outside the compound. The main entrance to the church has a waved concrete canopy held by six columns. There are steps and ramps for disabled people. The entrance has a 10 meter span timber door with mahogany varnish. The building has no windows, but has louvers which allow light and air to flow in. The louvers make the building look attractive, and when you are inside, they bring to you maximum light and air.



    The offices are put in the right and left side of the nave; hence the building looks like a cross from above. The interiors are in the state of art, all walls are white painted so the spaces look spacious and pure. The floor finish at the nave is terrazzo which distinguish gang ways from sitting spaces. The floor in offices are finished by ceramic tiles, the doors and windows are made up of aluminum.

    The alter is raised by almost one meter, hence makes the visibility clear even from the back. The alter is surrounded by stainless steel balustrade with glass panels. The podium, seats and tables at the alter are made up from marbles. The stage is connected to the alter (it is in front of the alter) which is used for various performance. The floor finish to the stage and alter is marble tiles. 



    The construction of the church was challenging because people must worship every Sunday and construction must proceed without interfering with church activities. The construction of new church started by surrounding the existing one, and then the old church was demolished. The construction went simultaneous with the construction of Sunday school’s building and upgrading the priest’s home.
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    Thursday, April 27, 2017

    Tanhouse by Epitome Architects.

    6:34 AM 0
    Tanhouse by Epitome Architects.

    Tanhouse is 13 storeys office building located on plots 34/1 Urisno along Ali-Hassan Mwinyi road Kinondoni Municipality, Dar es Salaam. The building looks elegant with exceptional character from surround buildings.


    The building has dedicated space for commercial activities such as banking, at the ground floor, parking bays at basement, mezzanine and first floor totaling to 97 parking bays. All other storeys are office spaces. Due to limited plot area for vehicles to maneuver and access mezzanine and first floor, two car lifts have been provided to support vertical circulation for vehicles.


    Construction started back in 2011. “The client wanted to get the best of the best, something of his own, symbolism. That is all he wanted, so innovation was a key tool on our drawing boards and came up with that building” David Kibebe from epitome.


    “We designed the building which can communicate in all four sides. From any side you approach the building, it display the same characters and catch the eye.” David Kibebe.


    The curved columns at the corners and curved aluminum fins, both are non-structural members; bring the illusion of an egg and basket or whatever someone decide to define.


    In order to achieve the shape portrays, The floor sizes vary from each other. The first floor is bigger than the ground floor, and the second floor is bigger than the first floor. The middle floor (7th floor) is bigger than other floors. The floors above the 7th floor decrease in size to match those below the 7th floor.


    The main entrance is emphasized by overhang canopy supported by three columns. The entrance leads to the bank hall and reception area. The building looks much taller because it has headroom of 4m floor to floor.


    Vertical circulations (lift and stairs), and all supporting facilities such as toilets, power rooms, kitchenette and service ducts are located at the Center core of the building. By doing this all rentable spaces are full of light and air at the edges of the building. “We managed to achieve 75% rental spaces while 25% being service/ circulation”. David Kibebe.

    Project Credits

    Project: Tanhouse
    Architect: Epitome Architects Limited
    Client: Eng. George Alliy
    Status: completed, 2014.
    Photographs: Epitome Architects Limited
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    Wednesday, April 26, 2017

    The Wooden House.

    1:04 AM 0
    The Wooden House.

    Awarded 2nd place nationally in 2016 for the best wooden construction in Slovenia, The Wooden House is a residential building embodying the elusive architectural quality of blurring the line between external and internal spaces. The Wooden House was designed with the intent to provide a resilient shelter from adverse weather, whilst creating the internal environment replicating the sensation of being outdoors. Soft wooden interiors are shielded by a durable outer shell.

    Special consideration was given to the positioning of the house: situated in a natural environment at the verge of a large forest clearing, without disturbing the exceptional beauty of the landscape. 

    With little room to maneuver, given the compact nature of the building plot, the focus was to utilize available space to serve the occupants' wellbeing.The project used wood as the dominant material in order for the house to blend with the wooded background. Simplicity in the design of The Wooden House is complemented by the oblique lateral facade, adding captivating nuances.

    All rooms with the exception of the bathroom face the sizable glass facade, letting in vivid colors and shapes of the natural surroundings. The living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom with sauna are on the ground floor while two bedrooms are upstairs, overlooking the rooms in the ground floor. The landscaping design around the house respects the natural environment.



  • Architects

    studio PIKAPLUS

  • Location

    5274 Kanji Dol, Slovenia

  • Architect in Charge

    mag. Jana Hladnik Tratnik u.d.i.a., Tina Lipovž u.d.i.k.a.

  • Area

    82.0 m2

  • Project Year

    2015
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    Tuesday, April 25, 2017

    How Combining Traditional Asian and African Design Could Minimize Diseases in Rural Tanzania

    3:33 AM 0
    How Combining Traditional Asian and African Design Could Minimize Diseases in Rural Tanzania


    Architecture firm Ingvartsen Architects has turned their gaze towards “cultural exchange architecture”—not with the aim of exploring identity or experimenting with aesthetics, but with a practical purpose in mind: to minimize the spread of diseases. The Magoda Project combines Asian elements with traditional rural African building methods in the village of Magoda, in the Tanga region of Tanzania, taking shape in the form of eight prototype homes. The design goes to show that cultural exchanges in design and architecture can make great contributions towards problem solving for a humanitarian purposes, not only to improve health and hygiene, but also comfort and happiness.

    Many traditional low-cost homes in rural Africa use mud or brick walls due to their high thermal mass, allowing the materials of the buildings to absorb heat during the day, and release heat during the night, keeping the temperature of the house comfortable and cool. Usually, this effect is amplified by using small windows, and as few of them as possible, if any are used at all. The Tanga region is located on the hot and humid coast of Tanzania, making these traditional building systems effective in achieving their purpose.

    However, the disadvantage of these buildings is that they provide minimal airflow, due to the thick walls with few openings, as well as limited cooking areas or sanitary water supplies. The combination of these effects can create a hotspot for diseases, such as Malaria, in spaces where people spend a significant amount of their time: the home. Ingvartsen Architects have worked with local engineers, laborers, doctors and sociologists to combine Asian building elements with traditional African building methods, resulting in buildings that still utilize local materials, but maximize airflow. The aims of this design process are to prevent people's living environment from fostering diseases, and to create a comfortable microclimate in the homes.

    Three different materials have been used to build the facades of eight houses, in single or double stories: bamboo, shade nets and timber louvers. The advantage of these typically Asian elements is the possibility for cross-ventilation through the openings in the materials, while still using other materials with a high thermal capacity, such as brick and concrete, to serve as outdoor kitchen spaces and elevated platforms that prevent the houses from flooding. This optimized combination of the two building styles improves the hygiene and wellbeing of the local inhabitants, demonstrating how innovative solutions can come from interchanging cultural knowledge.

    Ingvartsen Architects are also using this cultural exchange as a research opportunity, evaluating the effectiveness of the different microclimates that will result from the various materials and building designs, as well as the efficiency of insect screens that cover all open windows. Their aim is to work with the local community leaders and important stakeholders to increase the acceptance of new design techniques and expand the architecture, minimizing diseases on a broader scale. 

    Breaking barriers between cultural design methods is shown in the Magoda Project to produce utilitarian solutions that advance social and environmental sustainability, improving the quality of life of people who may not have access to different cultural formulas. Hopefully this evolution will continue to lead us towards new and experimental architecture, where social development and wellbeing carry on as the driving forces behind our designs.
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